Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
